Why the Promoter Is the Only Authoritative Source
No central body schedules gun shows. There is no national registry and no requirement that anyone publish anywhere. What exists is several hundred independent promoters, each running their own calendar.
Everything downstream of that — every directory, aggregator and listing site, this one included — is a copy. The promoter is where dates originate, where table rates are set, where cancellations are announced first, and where floor assignments are decided.
Live Schedule Feed
Find shows near you, then note the promoter name on each listing. Confirmed dates are pulled from our national calendar, which is updated as promoters publish and verify them. If the calendar is empty for your area, no dates have been confirmed yet — we do not publish unverified listings.
How the Promoter Landscape Is Structured
Operators fall into four broad tiers, and knowing which you are dealing with tells you how far ahead they publish and how they work:
| Tier | Scale | Publishing horizon | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large multi-state circuit | Dozens of shows a year across several states | 12–24 months | Professional operations, consistent format and policies, formal vendor processes |
| Regional promoter | Six to twenty shows in one state or a cluster | 6–12 months | The backbone of most state calendars; often family businesses |
| Collector association or club | One or two annual shows | 12+ months | Oldest and most collector-focused events; volunteer-run, fixed weekends |
| Independent operator | A single show at a single venue | 6–10 weeks | Often no web presence; found through venues and local shops |
The largest travelling operation in the country illustrates the top tier well: Crossroads of the West runs roughly sixty shows a year across a western multi-state circuit, draws total annual attendance exceeding 500,000, hosts as many as 1,400 vendors, and is a member of the National Association of Arms Shows. That scale only works with venue contracts locked far in advance, which is why their calendar is publishable a year or more out.
Finding the Promoter for Your Region
Four routes, in rough order of speed:
- Read it off a listing. Any properly formed show listing carries the promoter name. Pull up shows in your target market and note who recurs.
- Ask the venue. County fairgrounds, civic centers, armories and expo halls know exactly who rents their halls and will usually tell you. This works even when the promoter has no web presence at all.
- Ask at a local gun shop or range. Shops get vendor flyers and promoter contacts that never surface online. Still one of the most effective methods, particularly in rural markets.
- Work backwards from a show you attended. The name on the admission stamp, the banner over the entrance, or the vendor packet all lead back to the promoter.
Most regions are covered by two to five operators, and one usually runs the majority of the calendar. Identify that one and you have the bulk of your region's dates, rates and vendor process in a single source.
What to Ask a Promoter
Whether you are attending or vending, a short list of questions gets you everything that matters:
As an attendee:
- Confirmed dates and hours for each day — Saturday and Sunday are rarely the same.
- Venue name and street address, not just the city.
- Admission terms — whether it is per-day or a weekend pass, and any discounts.
- Approximate table count. The best single predictor of whether the drive is worth it.
- Door policy on personal firearms and on what may be carried in.
As a vendor:
- Current rate sheet and what is included in a table.
- Add-ons — electricity, extra passes, parking, position premiums.
- Deposit, cancellation window and whether bookings transfer to another date.
- Setup window, load-in door, and whether you can drive to the entrance.
- Insurance requirements and whether the venue or promoter must be named as additional insured.
- Whether table assignments are made in advance or at check-in.
Building the Relationship
For anyone vending more than occasionally, the promoter relationship is the asset — not any individual booking. In a region covered by three operators, each relationship is roughly a third of your available calendar.
- Get on their vendor list. Date changes, new venues and cancellation openings go there first.
- Be easy to deal with. Show up, follow the rules, do not break down early. This is a small industry and reputations travel.
- Book early and consistently. Reliable vendors get better positions over time and get called first when a corner table opens up.
- Ask about their other shows. Regional promoters usually run more shows than you found, sometimes in adjacent states.
Promoters: List Your Shows Free
If you run shows, send us your dates. Listings are free, and promoter-submitted dates are the most reliable data in the calendar — we publish nothing we cannot trace back to the promoter or the venue.
Useful to include: show name, dates, venue name and address, hours for each day, approximate table count, admission terms, and a vendor contact. Full 2027 dates are particularly useful, since almost nobody has them published yet and people planning travel are actively looking.
Dedicated pages for individual promoters and venues are being added as we verify each operator's schedule.